School of Physics and Astronomy - BSc Theoretical Physics

We aim to:

1. Teach physics of high quality within an excellent research environment;
2. Recruit students able to benefit from a university education;
3. Provide a Programme that enables students with a variety of educational backgrounds to pursue physics as a subject;
4. Provide access to such variety of modules, including those from other disciplines, as to enable students to tailor their studies to their own needs and interests;
5. Instill in our students an understanding of the working of the physical world;
6. Encourage students to develop transferable skills that are applicable to a variety of careers;
7. Provide a Programme that prepares students, where appropriate, for a range of professional careers in physics.
8. Provide opportunities for students to appreciate the beauty of physics and to develop a desire for learning.

Our Programme is constructed within a modular course structure in which each student takes eight or nine modules per year. Our overall strategy is to achieve a balance, appropriate to the aims of each course unit, between teaching (lectures; practical laboratory work; small-group tutorials) and learning by students (peer discussion; exercise classes; coursework and essay assignments; independent work in laboratories and computer studies; teach-yourself computer packages and the Internet; videos; textbooks and supplementary reading).

Exercise classes or laboratories are provided for all compulsory modules which are used to develop the specific skills needed. Two general physics laboratories are used to develop experimental skills, including the acquisition of data and the analysis of uncertainties of observation. In addition students learn to write a scientific account of their experimental observation. Finally, a compulsory independent project is used to develop students' investigative and communication skills.

Assessment is by a mixture of continuous assessment and formal written examinations at the end of each year. We use a variety of in-course assessments to enable students to get quick feedback as to their performance. These include weekly coursework (marked and returned on a weekly basis), essay assignments, mid-term tests carried out in a lecture slot, performance in exercise classes and tutorials, laboratory and project reports.

These in-course assessments are combined with formal final written examination results and oral examinations (on project modules) to produce the final mark for each course unit. The precise
mixture of in-course and final exam marks to give the overall mark varies between different course units and is specified in the detailed course unit description given in the Student Handbook and on the relevant QMPlus module web page.

The programme consists of compulsory and elective modules. All undergraduate students at Queen Mary take 120 credits a year. A BSc degree consists of 360 credits. Most modules are worth 15 credits which means that students normally take 8 modules a year. In your third year students normally study for a project worth 30 credits. Students are required to take all modules marked as ‘compulsory’. Where modules are indicated as "elective" or "suggested" or "optional" students may choose whether or not to take the module. Where there is space in the curriculum students make take up to 15 credits per academic year from another School at Queen Mary. Students who chose this option are responsible for finding their own modules and complying with all registration requirements. Finally, the programme includes one compulsory non credit bearing (study only) module in years 1 & 2 of the programme: SPA3000 Basic Mathematical Techniques & SPA5000 Communication Skills for Physicists.

This programme follows the standard QM progression criteria and degree classification algorithm:

To progress from one developmental year to the next, a student must: 

i. meet all programme and pathway requirements;

ii. fail (after resit) no more than 30 credits in any one developmental year; 

iii. maintain an average mark of 40.0 or higher, calculated across all credits taken to date and weighted to the appropriate point on the scale 1:3:6 (years one:two:three); 

iv. take and pass modules as follows: 
a. years one to two: take 120 credits, including a minimum of 90 at level 4. Pass modules to the value of at least 90 credits. 
b. years two to three: take 120 credits, including a minimum of 90 at level 5. Pass modules to the value of at least 195 credits.

To be eligible for the award of BSc, a student must: 

i. take modules to a total value of 360 credits, equivalent to 120 credits per developmental year; 

ii. take modules to a minimum value of 90 credits at each of levels 4, 5 and 6; 

iii. take modules to a maximum value of 150 credits at level 4 or lower; 

iv. take modules to a maximum value of 30 credits at level 3; 

v. pass modules to a minimum value of 315 credits (excluding modules at level 3) 

vi. pass modules to a minimum value of 90 credits at level 6 or higher.